I am looking at the A4 for a possible purchase, but have questions about Audi's problems in past and how the car compares in quality to other European cars in its general price range, such as the Volvo S70, BMW 323, Mercedes C CLASS 230. Any advice, especially from those who considered the others and went with the Audi. Also, with manual transmission, is there really a need to have the 2.8's six cylinder engine?

I was skeptical like you, particularly considering Audi's past controversies (e.g. sudden accleration syndrome) and their butt ugly models of some years back. Then one day I saw a beautiful A6 on the freeway and, coincidentally, the Robert DeNiro movie, Ronin, which featured some pretty spectacular car chases using Audi's. So I began to take a closer look. The reviews of the A4 were incredibly positive and Car and Driver had, until this year, placed it in their top 10 autos for 4 years running. To top it off the value of the car was unbeatable. Here was a car that compared well to a BMW 3 series for at least $5,000 less! Taking all these factors together and considering that the price was exactly within my budget, the choice became clearer. Add on the three year full maintenance warranty and there was no question... the A4 was the best all around car for me in its price range.<p>Hope this helps?

First, go to the archives and search for the particular item you want to know about. Basically, in a nutshell, the A4 is a very reliable car, most people are very happy with their purchase, and on the tranny question it depends if you want to spend the extra bucks for the smoother, more luxery oriented 2.8 or not, and as usual don't forget you can chip the 1.8 also to boost hp. This is the tip of the iceburg. Search the archives the info will overwelm you.

For many people, a car purchase is often an expression or extension of one's personality. Having settled for practical and economical cars for a good portion of my adult life, I was ready to pamper myself with something a bit special. So I began searching for a unique car that would express this "specialness" (and also satisfy some of the practical parameters as well!)<p>The BMW was my first knee jerk reaction to this need. But as I began to keep my eye out for models and colors that I liked, it suddenly dawned on me that Bimmers were about as common as Chevy's in So. Cal. That's when I saw my first A series Audi, an A6. It not only caught my attention but I quickly realized how uncommon (aha! "special") they are. That's when I began to take a closer look. Even now, I rarely see one in a single day.<p>Of course, I would never buy a car for that reason alone -- but this "uniqueness" is what got my attention. Fortunately, the A4 has lived up to my expectations so I have the satisfaction of driving a quality car that isn't so common!<p>I don't mean to sound snobby (hey, I own a Saturn that I'm quite proud of as well!) but I think you know what I mean!<br>

If you get Quattro, you probably will either want the 2.8 or get the 1.8T and then chip it. If you don't want to or don't feel comfortable with chipping, get the 2.8. Some forum members have described the 2.8 as smoother. Others consider a chipped 1.8T to be sportier. I have a 2.8 manual Quattro and love it.

Having just returned from So. Cal.(to the NE) I was amazed at the difference in sightings of the Audi! When I was commuting 120 miles/day in the NE they were more common, in Spain-common, in Socal a rare vision. In fact today I saw one sedan and avant on my 7 mile commute to work! I still feel that this is an awesome car, however understated (my preference!)<p>It is true, particularly in calif (having been raised in CA,) that people see their car as an extension of their personality. I wonder why this car is less common in CA, especially since I always thought of CA on the forefront of many trends.

I usually see from 4-8 each day on my way home from work...and usually 2-3 during lunch, if I go out. In the Silicon Valley there are a ton of them...you just gotta look in the parking lots of Cisco, Intel, National Semiconductor, 3Com, KLA-Tencor, and Apple. They are reproducing like rabbits here.<p>Oh yeah, during my last visit to San Francisco...I saw about 10 parked within two blocks of each other in a residential district. Weird, most of them were black.<p>I use to be the sole one...not anymore.<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<br>SF/Bay Area

I can't speak for Silicon Valley as I'm in the Pasadena/L.A. area and certainly the proportion is higher in affluent (read: Yuppie) areas but, relatively speaking, Bimmers are extremely more common than Audis. Wouldn't you agree? Personally, I like that!

An interesting survey: Mac/Audi owners vs. Windows/Audi owners! I'm a Mac/Audi compatriot!!! How about you Steve?

But...Corey S is a MAC/Audi guy...and he works down the street from me.<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<p>P.S. There are more BMWs per capita in California than bars of soap.

When I was shopping (just a couple of weeks ago, in fact ;-), I was interested in the BMW 328I primarily. Unfortunately, in my area they were scarce as hen's teeth not to mention being just slightly out of reach price-wise. I really hadn't considered the Audi <br>mostly from what I'd heard in the past about reliability issues. I also hadn't <br>kept up with what Audi had done with the A4. A friend of mine suggested I check it out and after searching for info on the net, and finding a4.org, then checking one out at the dealer, I bought a '99 2.8 Quattro, brilliant black with ecru leather interior. <p>The only word I can think to describe the sensation of driving it is "silky". It is so smooth that before you know it you look down and you're doing 90mph. I've owned turbocharged cars in the past and they've always seemed kind of "bursty" due to the turbo lag. There is little or no lag in the 2.8. You push the pedal and it moves, quickly. Add in all the other A4 features and you have a sweet driving experience. <p>The only knock on mine is the suspension. I bought mine off the lot and it didn't<br>have the optional Sport suspension. The car still handles very well but its a bit<br>too soft for my taste and it rolls a bit too much when hard cornering. It'll cost me<br>at least twice what the Sport option costs to get this corrected so you are much<br>better off getting the sport suspension from the factory if you can. Also, if you<br>like to drive hard, get the sport seat option. The stock seats let you slide around<br>too much when cornering hard.<p>Also, get the Quattro. We just had our first serious snow of the season here in Colorado and the Quattro with the stock Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires was <br>phenomenal. I could make the rear end break loose when cornering if I<br>punched the accelerator, but with normal driving this thing just hung onto<br>the ice and snow as if it weren't even there. Amazing. Honestly, after this<br>experience, I thank the stars that I didn't buy the 328i with its rear-wheel drive.<br>Me and this A4 are going to be good friends for a long time ;-)<br>.

Well, I narrowed my purchase choices down to the VW Passat, A4, and new BMW 323. I also thought about the MB C230:<p>- MB had a stodgy 'rich old fart' image - I didn't even go for a test drive. I wanted a 6 cylinder for refinement - price was too high on MB<br>- Passat was not available in 6 cylinder, 5 speed. Otherwise would have been a top contender<br>- 323 was the closest competitor. I was torn between the obvious 'impressive' perception of BMW and the actual things I liked about the A4. But the low entry price of the 323 was deceptive. You need to pay extra for: cruise control, package for electric seats, wood trim, fold down rear seat, armrest, over $2K for sport package. Unlike many, I was not in critical need of 4WD.<br>- A4 was the best interior hands down. I wanted both a sporty car and a luxurious car. BMW was sporty but not that luxurious. I thought the BMW steering was too stiff. The interior didn't move me. I drove it and I just didn't have the emotional feeling in my blood that I got from the A4. A4 warranty somewhat better than BMW. BMW insurance a lot more. A4 depreciation is worse, but I keep my cars a long time, so what the hell. I don't NEED a car that is this expensive.<p>Conclusion: I liked the A4 the best and went with my heart.

I like to get one thing clear about reliability. To my knowledge, and I have owned Audi for the past 10 years, there has never been a reliability issue. Unfortunately in US, the so call "unintended acceleration" sega ruinned the reputation while having a bad importer won't help. With the rest of the world, Audi has always been reliable. The problem with Audi 10 years ago was that there cars were boring to drive (with the exception of Quattro coupe). As of today, it's universially agreed that Audi is better built than BMW and on a par with MB. So there you go.

I see >10 every day, along with bunches A6's and a couple of A8's a week in Boston. In point of fact, the fact that the A4 is somewhat of a "me too" car around here was a negative (until I drove the car.) Also, it's pretty rare to see a 1.8T - most all are 2.8's.<p>For another data point, of the six members of our company's management team (Narrative Communications - if you're the SteveS who works for SVB, you are our bank, BTW) three of us have A4's.<br>

Yes, I am that SteveS....<p>Steve S.<br>97 2.8QM<p>P.S. Funny thing...out in California...I am the only person with an A4 at my company.<br>Some consultant drives an older A6...and some bank examiner or Y2K consultant<br>drives an A8. We are full of BMWs.

There's a good reason why you don't feel any turbo lag with your A4 2.8. It is not a turbocharged engine!

I probably only see one A4 a week in southern CA (Ventura County/SF Valley), and that's with a 25 mile commute each way. It must have to do with the lower concentration of high tech industry in SoCal.<p>Kyle<p>PS. My 12 year old daughter is better at spotting them than I am.

The low end torque on the 1.8T is excellent. I've driven the 2.8 and I feel that the low end of the 1.8T is on par if not better than the 2.8. The 2.8 is definitely smoother and more refined as a 6 cyl should be, but lag is not an issue on the 1.8T.<p>If you want to feel lag with a sudden burst of power try my wife's Saab 9-3!! There's plenty of lag in THAT car!<p>Dave<br>'97 1.8TQMS "wett"<br>

No kidding!?? ;-)<p>Going back and reading my post, I could see where you got confused. I could have worded it better.<p>The guy was obviously asking if the 2.8 was any better than the 1.8T given the manual tansmission. Thus, my observation about turbos.

i drive from West L.A. to downtown everyday (not on the 10, i just take 3rd) and i usually see 1 or 2 on the way in and 1 and the way home. i have the only A4 in my parking lot at work.<p>i followed a black 2.8 to work today and i followed a beautiful Santorin 1.8t yesterday. Bimmers are still really popular downtown. (lots of lawyer/banker types. maybe we IT professionals just march to the beat of a different drummer.)

1998 Consumer Reports New Car Buying Guide shows that predicted reliability for the Audi A4 is better than Mercedes Benz's C Class, and poorer than Volvo's S70 and BMW's 3-Series.<br>

This is based on taking about one trip/mo to LA (primarily hanging out in Santa Monica, Westwood, BH/West Hollywood & the valley.) Come to think of it I don't recall seeing any Audis at all my last three trips own there.<p>Like Steve S says, the Peninsula/Silicon Valley seem to be Audi central in Nor Cal, though there are still lots more bimmers, Hondas and Acuras. <p>However, I'm proud to say that I'm one of two A4 owners on my block (downtown Palo Alto, the other is a silver 98 2.8QMS.) Also, someone just the next block over from us owns a silver 98 1.8T QMS.<p>Harvey<br>'99 Santorin Blue 1.8T QMS